What is Cold Calling? Definition, Tips, and Templates

Cold calling is one of the most used sales channels by SDRs for outbound prospecting.

The thought of reaching out to a potential customer who has not expressed any interest in your product or service can be intimidating, and the fear of rejection can be enough to make anyone hesitate.

Whether you're a seasoned BDR or just starting out in the industry, this article will provide you with the information you need to make your cold calls as successful as possible.

Read on!

Cold calling is a sales technique where a sales representative makes unsolicited phone calls to potential customers who have not expressed any prior interest or contact with the company, but fit the ideal customer profile.

The primary objective of cold calling is to generate leads, set up appointments, or schedule product demos. The sales representative initiates the conversation with the prospect, introduces the company and its offerings, and tries to create interest and engagement.

Often it is used to introduce a product or service, schedule an appointment, and gather information. The fact that you can talk one-on-one in real-time with prospects makes cold calling an effective way to reach new customers.

To be successful as an SDR in cold calling, you need to know that the learning process takes time and requires much patience.

Many sales representatives make this error. They don't even ask the person on the other end of the phone for their view as they quickly make their offer to begin the call.

Additionally, sales representatives frequently toss into pitching their products or services as soon as they learn what the buyer persona is looking for. You might get lucky, and your offer might be exactly what the receiver wants at the current time. But this is rarely the case.

This brings us to the next tip:

Concentrate on acquiring information. You want to conduct an interview with the potential customer by asking questions unless you're offering something cheap that needs little consideration to understand their pain points. Make notes and promise to return to them later.

Put your attention on developing the relationship and projecting an approachable, amiable, and non-threatening image.

Prior to your call, decide what you want to accomplish. That usually entails scheduling a time to meet or have a more extended conversation. Don't squander your prospect's time while diligently working toward that objective.

To dig a little bit deeper into the tasks before a cold call, here is tip number 3:

Your objective is to understand how to use your offering to satisfy their demands.

Visit the websites and LinkedIn profiles of your prospects. Look for details on their corporate history, mission statement, and management, and read the About Us page. Make a call only to the precise decision-maker.

Read consumer reviews and press releases as well as news. Visit their physical location if one exists if it is acceptable.

Discover the client's pain points while you do your investigation. Assess their priorities and gain a grasp of their operations and possible needs. Make a list of your shared passions.

The prospect will value that you are aware of their demands rather than making a generic call using a stale cold calling script if you conduct adequate research that enables you to personalize and add value to your cold call.

It is important to have prepared questions and remarks before making cold calls.

While making a cold call should ideally feel like a natural conversation, doing it on the spur of the moment could result in awkward pauses, excessive filler, and clunky delivery. However, following a script makes it easier to prevent mistakes, pay attention to what you are saying, and convincingly convey your sales message.

A pitch will help you relax and direct the conversation to keep your attention on the purpose of the call.

One of the cold-calling tactics I suggest is writing out what you want to say.

At the same time, you shouldn't recite directly from your script.

If you do, your potential client or customer will notice and tune you out since you sound robotic and indifferent. Your conversation with a potential customer should never feel forced on them.

Instead, it should sound like a natural conversation.

Finding the perfect time to call your prospects can actually turn out to be an endless search for the right timeframe.

However, testing several times and days for cold calling your prospects can give you insightful info for when most decision-makers are open to having conversations.

And analyzing your call history might help you determine the days and times of the week when people are most likely to answer the phone.

As a rule, you shouldn't explicitly say this day or time doesn't work. Being consistent and trying to hit the phone when people might not expect it can turn out to be a successful strategy. Conducting cold calls on a Friday afternoon can, for example, be a good time for that. Many SDRs are already in a weekend mood, and that's why fewer calls are made.

Going for this day and time can actually be a success for your - pattern interrupt.

Practice is important since it makes you more at ease when starting a conversation and makes you sound more assured. Keep your pitch conversational and spontaneous; chances are, prospects are used to hearing scripted pitches.

With coworkers, practice making sales mock-up calls, with different mock-up scenarios until you feel confident discussing the product or service. Prepare responses to typical objections and practice how you would respond to them.

Nobody wants to make a purchase from an insecure salesperson.

Whether you are starting as an SDR for the first time or have been operating a business for some time, have faith in your ability to offer your product or service.

Keep in mind that you are an expert on the topic and can contribute something valuable. When communicating with prospects, show confidence; this will encourage them to pay attention to what you have to say.

Years ago, it was conceivable to get a yes on the first sales contact, but today, the vast majority of clients will have qualms and reservations. However, handling sales objections well may be what ultimately closes a contract.

Understanding how to respond to the most typical sales objections, such as:

"I'm not interested"

"I don't know you"

"It cost's too much"

It's a good idea to provide instructions in your sales script on how to address particular arguments or doubts in order to aid your sales agents in overcoming such challenges.

Dealing with rejections is another topic your sales representatives need to know about. As a sales rep, you must learn how to take "no" in stride and move on to another prospect since no matter how hard they try, they won't be able to close every deal.

Some people choose not to answer calls due to being preoccupied or just failing to hear the phone ring. But there's another excuse for not responding. According to a recent survey, 87% of individuals don't answer calls from ominous numbers.

Whether or not a prospect returns your call, B2B cold calling voicemails might be useful. A compelling message can strengthen your brand and possibly elicit a response in the future. The better your voicemails are, the more probable it is that someone will respond.

Also, if you're still looking for the right cold-calling software, this blog from HubSpot can help you out.

Templates are very helpful in not losing the thread during your cold calls.

However, you shouldn't stick to it 100%, as cold calling can be a natural conversation with often unexpected turns.

If a prospect isn't available when you call them, the call may go to their answering machine.

Keep the outreach cadence going with a voicemail:

Tip: Keep the message concise, to the point, and under one minute so the prospect doesn't feel like it's a waste of time. Also, repeat your business number once so your contact can write it down easily.

Using this sales call script, you can confirm appointments with prospects who have previously expressed interest in your services.

For instance, they requested a trial by clicking on a button, or they wanted to know more about how to collaborate with you.

Using this script will enable you to engage the prospect and get to the point rapidly. It can be combined with any other template because it basically helps to get a conversation started.

Sometimes a prospect may not quite suit your desired demographic, in which case you should probe further with sales inquiries.

Depending on how the customer reacts, these may call for you to get creative and depart from the script.

Hopefully, you can learn some new tips and tricks from this article that will help you succeed as an SDR.

If you want to read more about cold calling, read this blog about cold calling memes.

And if you want to get SDRs that are masters at cold calling, get in touch with us!